Universal driving head for tools



June 4, 1957 @wuw S. LYKINS, J R

UNIVERSAL DRIVING HEAD FOR TOOLS Filed May 13, 1955 Sanford L ylrins, Jr.

zzvmvroa MM MW United States The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in screwdrivers, wrenches and similar hand tools and primarily to provide a selectively rigid and universal driving head for the tool.

An important object of the invention is to provide a universal driving head for a hand tool constructed with a spring-pressed slidable sleeve for locking the head in either its universally manipulating or its rigid position.

A further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efiicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become apparent as the following description proceeds reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevation showing the universallocking sleeve in retracted position;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the universal driving head in locked position;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on a line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an interchangeable adaptor.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a tool handle at the rear end of a shank 6.

A universal driving head is designated generally at 7 and includes a rear hollow cylindrical body 8 and a front hollow cylindrical body 9 connected in end-to-end relation to each other for universal movement by pairs of interfitting tongues at the meeting ends of the respective bodies, said tongues being pivotally connected to a connector plug 11 by screws 1%. The rear body is sleeved over the outer end of shank 6 and secured thereto by a transverse pin 12 which has its ends projecting outwardly at diametrically opposite sides of the body 8 into longitudinal slots 13 at diametrically opposite sides of a locking sleeve 14 which is slidable into and out of bridging position at the connected ends of the bodies 8 and 9.

The inner end of locking sleeve 14 is formed with an inturned flange 15 to form an abutment for a coil spring 16 which is mounted under compression on the shank 6 and extends between sleeve 1 and handle 5 and serves to urge the locking sleeve into locking position with reatent Patented June 4, 1957 spect to the universal joint between the bodies 8 and 9. The locking sleeve may be retracted far enough to clear the universal joint between the bodies 8 and 9 and to flee the pin 12 from the slots 13 and the locking sleeve may 5 then be partly turned so that its front end will rest on the pin and thus free the bodies 8 and 9 for unrestricted universal movement.

An adaptor 17 includes a cylindrical body 18 removably inserted into the front body 9 and locked from turning movement therein by a transverse pin 19 mounted within the body 9 and engaged in a transverse groove 20 at the inner end of the adaptor body. The body 18 is also formed with a circumferential groove 21 in which inwardly projecting pins 22 on a pair of resilient latch plates 23 and 24 are lockably engaged to retain the adaptor in the body 9. The latch plates are secured to the outer surface of the body 9 by screws or other suitable fasteners 25. The outer end of adaptor body 18 is formed with a square-shaped lug 26 adapted for engaging a complementary shaped socket in a bolt or screw (not shown) to tighten or loosen the latter by the turning of the tool. Other types of adaptors (not shown) equipped with screwdriver bits or other driving elements may be interchangeably attached in the front body 9 of the universal driving head.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A tool of the class described comprising a shank having a handle at one end, a universal at the other end of the shank and including a pair of hollow cylindrical bodies pivotally connected to each other in end-to-end relation for relative universal movement, a transverse pin on the shank and connecting one of the bodies thereto, said pin having ends projecting outwardly at opposite sides of said one body, a locking sleeve having a pair of longitudinal slots at diametrically opposite sides of the sleeve and in which the projecting ends of said pin are slidable during movement of the sleeve into and out of bridging relation to the connected ends of the bodies to restrict relative movement therebetween, spring means on the shank and engaging the sleeve to move the latter into said bridging relation, and a tool bit carried by the other of said bodies.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 868,454 Korth Oct. 15, 1907 1,096,235 Fox May 12, 1914 1,102,863 Bojas July 7, 1914 1,412,284 Hellman Apr. 11, 1922 1,643,855 Peterson Sept. 27, 1927 1,715,902 countryman June 4, 1929 2,653,636 Younkin Sept. 29, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 22,423 Great Britain Oct. 11, 1911 519,409 France Jan. 22, 1921 

